


happy endings

by emiliathegreat



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Bottom!Calum, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Requested, bookstore employee!Ashton, cute cute cute, fluffy cashton is the best cashton, top!ashton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:26:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emiliathegreat/pseuds/emiliathegreat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>he didn’t really know why he ended up there, or how really. he convinced himself that it was for one reason: to get out of the cold. with numb fingers, he would rather spend some time in a heated shop than walk all the way back to his fourth-floor apartment in the brisk air that would quite possibly chill him to the bone. </p><p>it definitely wasn’t because of the cute boy with the curly hair that he saw through the window. nope, not at all.</p><p>or</p><p>calum starts to visit a local bookstore to spend time with ashton, the cute boy who works there</p>
            </blockquote>





	happy endings

**Author's Note:**

> this was a fic originally wrote for abby [ziouis](http://ziouis.tumblr.com) on tumblr because she's always been so incredibly nice and so after supplying her with a short drabble of prompts, she picked bookstore!au cashton. 
> 
> and so this kind of happened. 
> 
> shoutout to finals, a shitload of homework, and a really bad cold for delaying the completion of this work, i'm glad i finally got it done.

Calum let out a puff of breath, watching it condense into a small cloud in front of his face as he pushed open the door to the small bookstore.

He didn’t really know why he ended up there, or how really. He convinced himself that it was for one reason: to get out of the cold. With numb fingers, he would rather spend some time in a heated shop than walk all the way back to his fourth-floor apartment in the brisk air that would quite possibly chill him to the bone.

It definitely wasn’t because of the cute boy with the curly hair that he saw through the window. Nope, not at all.

The place looked old, like it had been standing longer than Calum had been alive, and it smelled like old wood and new paper. It was something that he hadn’t smelled in a long time, not since he’d gotten out of school, and there was something comforting about that and the jingle of the bell on the door as he walked in.

The boy behind the counter gave him a polite nod and a small smile, pushing the pair of glasses he wore up the bridge of his nose. Calum smiled back briefly, and then found a way behind one of the many chest-high bookshelves, looking for something to stare at other than his shoes. He ran his fingers along the spines of the books on the shelf, on which there was a sign that said _SCIENCE FICTION_ in a large, bold script. Shrugging, he scanned the titles, waiting for something to jump out at him.

“Excuse me,” A voice asked from the other side of the shelf, and he looked up, startled, into a pair of bright hazel eyes. It was the boy. He was a bit shorter than Calum, but was just as fit. His hair was pulled back in a red bandana that was a few shades brighter than his shirt, to which was pinned a name tag reading _Ashton_.

He smiled widely as Calum jumped, revealing a pair of dimples. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” He apologized. “You just looked a little confused. Can I help you at all?”

“Uh, yeah. I was… looking for a book?” The statement came out sounding more like a question, and he hoped that he hadn’t just embarrassed himself.

Ashton laughed adorably, stacking his forearms on the top of the shelf between them. “You’ve come to the right place then, um…?”

“Calum.”

“Well then, Calum. This is kind of a bookstore, if you haven’t noticed.” He waved his arms around for emphasis. “Plenty of books to pick from.”

He smiled again, and Calum just wanted to fucking kiss the smile off of his face. He convinced himself that he was getting way too far ahead of himself. Sure, he was cute (like impossibly cute) but what were the chances that he liked guys, let alone him? He didn’t want to get his hopes up only to be let down.

He snapped back to attention when he realized that Ashton was looking at him expectantly, as if he was waiting for an answer to something. “I’m sorry, I kinda spaced. What was that?” He replied, and he could feel the blush creep up his neck.

“I asked if there was anything specific that you were looking for.” He said, walking back toward the front of the shop to adjust a display.

“Not really.” He said, stuffing his hands into his sweatshirt pockets. “I don’t really read all that much, honestly.”

“That’s ok. It’s never too late to get back into some paperback adventures.” Ashton winked. “Do you want me to recommend something? I’ve probably read almost every book in this store cover to cover.”

“You’ve got to be joking.”

“Should I take that as a yes?”

“Sure, knock yourself out.” Calum confirmed, watching as Ashton made practically a beeline toward one of the shelves.

“What do you like, Calum?” He asked from across the small establishment, and he was close to saying _you_ until Ashton started a list, counting on his fingers as he did so. “Mystery, adventure, nonfiction, comedy, romance, realistic fiction, graphic novels, bestsellers, historical fiction, what can I do ya for?”

“Mystery sounds cool, I guess.” He mumbled.

“Sweet, ok, um…” He scanned the shelves, and then pulled a red book from its place, looking over the cover and smiling. “Here, yes!” He strolled back over to Calum, handing him the novel. “The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It’s one of my favorites. It has mystery, a bit of history, and a little bit of romance.” He waggled his eyebrows jokingly, and Calum laughed, looking down at the hardcover in his hands.

He followed Ashton to the register as Ashton rang up the book. “How much?” He asked.

“Four-fifty.” He replied, and smiled at Calum’s confused look. “I’m using my employee discount on you, don’t make a scene.” He stage-whispered to the otherwise empty shop which made Calum grin.

“You don’t have to do that. What is it really?”

“I’m not going to tell you.” Ashton said in a singsong voice, handing Calum the book. “Have a good day, Calum.” Ashton called as Calum left the shop.

Putting his head down, he continued his trek back home. He would be lying if he didn’t say that the encounter sent butterflies to flutter in his stomach, and he couldn’t help a grin from spreading across his face.

~~

That’s how it all started.

Calum would return to the shop, usually to curl up on the couch near the front counter and read on his day off from working at a local music place. He found it more comforting than being at home, because at the store, he had Ashton there to give him warm glances as he walked by, little trivial bits on the book he was reading, and to recommend new stories to him once he’d finished. The other employees kept looking at him strangely, like they didn’t know why he kept returning only to sit in the corner alone, but eventually, they’d came to accept his weekly presence as a normal thing.  

Ashton had given him his number the third time that he’d shown up, and he’d found out a lot more about the boy through their conversations. He liked the same music that Calum did, and played the drums in his free time, and most importantly, he was bi. He was the man of a million laughs, and used too many emojis when they texted. There were little things that he picked up on too, like how he liked his coffee, that he didn’t like to sleep in his socks, and that he put his friends in family before himself 24/7. With every little inside joke and text conversation, they grew closer.

Calum could be lying if he didn’t say that he was falling head-over-heels for this boy.

It was a few months since the first meeting, and Calum was sitting behind the counter of the music store that he worked at. The place was fairly popular, usually seeing a good amount of customers. However, it was a particularly slow day. It had been three hours since he’d started his shift, taking over for a stick-thin girl with bright pink hair and a nose ring named Sarah, and since then, he’d only seen three customers.

He was perfectly okay with it. In fact, he wasn’t in the best mood, so he figured that it was for the better. For some reason, the sky just seemed darker, and the rain falling onto the pavement outside affected his mood in a bad way.

Just as he was considering locking up early, the sound of the door opening directed his attention to the front of the shop. The first thing that he saw was a smile that made him feel like there was sunshine surging through his veins.

“Hey, Calum.” Ashton said with a cheeky grin. He was wearing a black sports-coat over a maroon hoodie and carrying two coffee cups. He walked to the counter, put the cups down, and pushed his hood down.

“Hey, Ash.” Calum said, returning the smile. “What are you doing here?”

Ashton shed his coat and draped it over the back of a chair, then held out one of the cups in front of Calum’s face until he took it from his hands. “I’m off work today and went on a coffee run, so I figured that I could get a drink for my favorite person who unfortunately has to work today.” He responded with a shrug.

Calum sipped at the warm beverage and avoided Ashton’s gaze as butterflies churned in his stomach. _Favorite person, favorite person, favorite person_ cycled through his head. Then Ashton was saying something, and he was looking at him expectantly. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I was asking if you, um.” He rubbed his palm against the back of his neck, running his fingers through the soft, dry curls at the nape of his neck. “If you wanted to come over to my place tonight. Hang out, watch movies, eat junk, y’know?” He was staring at the cup in his hands, drumming his fingers on the sides nervously.

Ashton looked so cute and Calum was so fucked.

“Sure. That sounds like a lot of fun.” He said with a small grin. When the elder looked up, he was smiling.

“Really?” He asked, and Calum nodded excitedly. Ashton set down his drink and strode quickly across the empty space between the shelves of CDs and records, comically jumping up and knocking his heels midair, making Calum laugh. He skipped back over to the counter and jumped up to sit on the surface. “What time do you get off?”

“I could get off right now if I want.” He replied. “I’m the manager, and I mean, it’s been a pretty slow day, so…” He left the end of the sentence open to interpretation, and it seemed that Ashton took it the right way, because his eyes lit up.

“So yes? Right now?”

Calum laughed. “Sure. Let me lock up first though, ok?”

~ ~

Two hours later, Calum was sitting next to Ashton on the couch in Ashton’s apartment. After practically sprinting to his apartment building in the pouring down rain, they dried off and settled down in front of an Adam Sandler movie with a bunch of junk food.

After finishing the movie (and an entire large pizza), the two ended up closer to each other on the couch. Calum had his head on Ashton’s shoulder and his legs tucked up underneath himself. Ashton had Calum’s fingers intertwined with his under the blankets that they were sharing. Calum would be lying if he said he didn’t want to stay like that forever.

“Hey Cal?” Ashton asked.

“Mhmm?” Calum responded, looking up at the older boy. His face was illuminated by the faint light from the late-night sitcom playing softly on the TV, casting a shadow that accentuated the sharpness of his features. He was gazing down at him in a way that made Calum’s heart skip a beat.

“Would you be upset if I told you that I really want to kiss you right now?”              

“Not at all, Ash.”  He responded quietly, feeling a flush spread across his cheeks. It was something that just slipped out, he didn’t mean to say it out loud, but it was too late to take it back as Ashton’s fingers found their way under his chin and tilted his face up so that Ashton could press their lips together.

The butterflies in Calum’s stomach stirred during the kiss. It was sweet and soft, even though it was kind of at an awkward angle. Ashton’s smile when they pulled away made Calum melt.

Before he knew it, Calum was moving to straddle Ashton’s waist under the blanket, hands cupping the older boy’s face to bring their lips together again, this time at a better angle. This kiss was different than the first. It was biting, months of hidden passion bubbling up to the surface in the way that their mouths moved against one another. He sighed into the kiss, absentmindedly pushing his hips down into Ashton’s.

Ashton pulled away with a hiss, tugging at Calum’s plump bottom lip with his teeth. “Shit, Calum.” He whispered, moving his hands to the younger boy’s waist. In the faint glow from the television, Calum could see that his pupils were blown wide, his irises darkened. Calum could only imagine how he looked, his hair mussed up, his lips red and kiss-swollen. “How far do you wanna go?” He asked, voice low.

“I want,” He swallowed dryly. “I want you to fuck me.”  He said, and Ashton moaned at the words. He kissed Calum again, slower.

“Ok.” He murmured, bucking his hips up into Calum’s and reveling in the small gasp that left his lips. They continued like that, Ashton kissing Calum and sucking marks into the younger boy’s neck while Calum grinded down on Ashton’s dick. Calum’s hands were fisted into the front of Ashton’s tee shirt as he rocked in his lap, only loosening his grip when Ashton pulled away and mumbled “bed.”

Ashton led him into the bedroom. It was a space that screamed _Ashton_. Band posters adorned the walls, and stacks of books and CDs were standing precariously on the floor. That was all Calum was able to take in before the back of his knees hit the bed and he fell back onto the duvet. He managed to get out of his skinny jeans by the time that Ashton crawled onto the bed after him, clad only in his boxers.

“You’re not naked enough.” Ashton fake pouted, pulling at the hem of Calum’s singlet, and Calum helped him pull it off with a laugh, which was cut off with a whine as Ashton palmed his cock through the thin fabric of his last remaining clothing. Ashton kissed him slow and hard.

Calum was never one to consider himself sensitive, but he was reacting to Ashton’s touch in a way that he had never experienced with any previous partners. He had a history of jumping headfirst into things, hooking up with people before he really knew them, but with Ashton, It was different. With the time that he spent with Ashton in the book shop and the late night texts made it so much more intimate, because Calum felt like he’d known Ashton forever.

And he knew that he was completely in love with him.                  

He felt slightly embarrassed when he felt the wet patch at the front of his boxers and the fact that Ashton had gotten him that hard that fast. That soon diminished when Ashton pulled back from the kiss. “Give me a sec, ok?” He promised before crawling off the bed and rifling through his nightstand drawer. He made a cute sound of accomplishment when he emerged from the drawer with lube and a condom, which made Calum smile.

Calum decided to shuck his boxers as Ashton stepped out of his, getting back into bed. He settled between Calum’s legs, kissing him sweetly on the nose before sitting back on his heels. “Are you still down with this?” He asked quietly.

“Yes. God, yes.” He sighed. Ashton just nodded, running his large hands up the younger boy’s tan thighs. He pushed his knees up and apart further, shifting Calum’s hips so that he was fully exposed. A groan slipped from Ashton’s lips at the sight, and a blush crept across Calum’s chest.

“Fuck, Cal. You’re so beautiful.” He murmured opening the lube and slicking up a few fingers. He propped himself over the Kiwi’s body, reaching down to press a finger firmly against Calum’s hole. He pressed his lips to Calum’s, getting him to ease up, and his tongue slipped into Calum’s mouth the same time that he pressed the first digit into him.

The kiss muffled the quiet grunt that bubbled up from Calum’s chest. It’d been a while, and the intrusion was on the border of uncomfortable. Ashton was taking it slow though, which he appreciated.

The pad of Ashton’s fingers brushed over his prostate and Calum automatically arched up, mouth open in a silent moan. As he felt pleasure spark up his spine, he felt his cock, sitting heavy on his stomach, kick out a spurt of pre-come. Noticing this reaction, Ashton pressed in a second digit along with the first, beginning to scissor them.

“Yeah, Ash. Open me up.” Calum said seemingly out of nowhere, his voice husky.

“Don’t… don’t do that.” Ashton whispered. “I’m going to come in my fucking pants if you keep talking like that.” That caused Calum to chuckle.

“That’s your thing? Dirty talk?” He taunted.

“I wouldn’t be teasing the guy with his fingers inside your butt.” Ashton countered, giving a forceful jab at Calum’s prostate.

Calum let out a strangled moan, twisting his hands in the sheets. “Don’t be a jerk,” Calum mumbled, blinking the white spots out of his eyes. Ashton worked in a third finger, making sure to prep the younger boy well before pulling out his fingers and wiping them on Calum’s thigh.

Ashton rolled the condom onto himself, lubing himself up further. He propped himself up over Calum and guided himself into Calum slowly. Calum groaned, squeezing his eyes shut at the uncomfortable stretch. Though unpleasant, it was bearable.  When Ashton bottomed out, he kissed Calum, waiting for him to adjust

“I’m going to take it slow, alright?” Ashton asked him, and Calum nodded.

“Move.” Calum whispered. Ashton started a slow pace, sucking red love bites into the skin of Calum’s neck and chest, ones that would bruise prettily into deep shades of purple by the morning. Calum began to push his hips back to meet Ashton’s thrusts. “Faster,” Calum moaned, and Ashton obliged almost immediately, quickening his hips.

Calum was becoming a mess underneath Ashton, and he absolutely adored the sounds coming out of his mouth. When Ashton angled his hips slightly to the left and directly into Calum’s prostate, Calum arched off of the bed, seeing stars. “Oh my God, yes Ashton,” He whimpered, threading his fingers through the hair at the base of Ashton’s neck and pulling him down into a forceful kiss.

After a while, the kiss became something for Ashton to lick into while Calum grew closer to falling apart. He caught a view of Calum’s pretty cock between them. He looked painfully hard, the head red and leaking beads of pre come onto Calum’s stomach. He reached for Calum’s length, to help him out a bit, but his hand was swatted away.

“No, I,” Calum huffed, shutting his eyes. “I wanna come untouched.”

“Jesus Christ, Cal.” Ashton moaned, starting to thrust harder into him. Calum was moaning breathily, gripping onto Ashton’s shoulders to ground him. Calum could feel the muscles of his stomach tightening as he felt warmth settling in his abdomen and thighs.

“M’close Ash,” Calum whined, and Ashton nodded, slowing his pace down to an easy grind, the head of his dick pressing right into Calum’s prostate. “Yes,” he moaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

Ashton ran his thumb over Calum’s cheekbone, coaxing his eyes open. “Keep your eyes open, Cal. I wanna see them when you come.” Ashton said levelly. Calum nodded, gazing into Ashton’s darkened hazel eyes. He felt his face heat up for some reason, and it wasn’t because of his pre-orgasm flush. It was because Ashton was looking at him with so much _love_ ; it was making his heart flutter.

Call him sappy or whatever, but that’s what pushed Calum over the edge. His toes curled and his eyes rolled back as he came with a shout of Ashton’s name. He was shaking with aftershocks and continued to tighten around Ashton as he moaned, moving from the grind on his prostate to short, quick thrusts to bring him to his own release.

Ashton came shortly after Calum, tucking his head into the crook of the younger boy’s neck while Calum ran his fingers through his blonde curls. He stilled deep inside Calum and released into the condom. “Fuck, fuck, Calum. I love you.” He moaned, his warm breath fanning over Calum’s skin, making goose bumps rise over his tan skin.

When Ashton came down from his high, he pulled out of Calum and stripped off the condom, tying it off and tossing it into the bin. Calum grabbed their boxers off of the floor and pulled his own on, tossing the other pair at Ashton. He also grabbed his discarded shirt and used it to wipe the come off of his chest, then collapsed in bed next to the older boy.

They cuddled up next to each other under the covers, Ashton’s arms around Calum’s waist and Calum’s arms pressed against Ashton’s broad chest. They lay like that for a while in a warm silence.

Ashton was almost asleep when Calum finally spoke. “Ash?” He asked, and Ashton answered with a hum. “Did you mean it when you said you loved me? Or was it just a heat of the moment thing?” Even in the dark, Calum could feel Ashton’s gaze on his face, and it made him blush.

“Of course I meant it, Cal.” He said, and Calum could hear the smile in his voice. “In case you didn’t know, you’re kind of the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He pressed a kiss to Calum’s forehead, and Calum nuzzled his head into Ashton’s chest.

There was another pause before Calum spoke up again. “Good, because I love you too, Ashton.” Ashton smiled and kissed the crown of his head and wrapped his arms tighter around the other boy, pulling him so close to his body that Calum could feel the cheeky chuckle Ashton let out as it reverberated in his chest.

“Call me unrealistic or childish, but I’ve always dreamed of having a happy ending, like the ones in the fairy tales that we all read as kids.” Ashton added on a quieter, more serious note. “And I have a feeling that I’m going to find mine with you.”

Calum caught his mouth in a slow kiss. Normally, it would probably be weird for someone to be saying something like that after only the first date (and the first fuck), but Calum couldn’t agree with Ashton more. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, spending time with Ashton, kissing him, sleeping next to him, loving him as much as he did.

And it continued to feel right, even two years later when Ashton got down on one knee and asked Calum to be his happy ending. Who was Calum to say no?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always super duper appreciated! i feel like i kind of rushed the ending, so feedback would be awesome.
> 
> feel free to follow me on tumblr at [lvcasrobert](http://lvcasrobert.tumblr.com) or on my main blog at [placehxldr](http://placehxldr.tumblr.com)!!


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